ABSTRACT
Large cities are the natural setting for design services of every kind. In the United States, there were more than 595,000 designers in 2006, with each professional category of design expected to grow significantly by 2016 (Table 7.1). Without exception, these jobs are highly localized in major metropolitan areas. New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Boston and San Francisco dominate, especially with regard to concentrations of architects; but Detroit and San José host prominent concentrations of industrial designers, while Seattle tops the list among graphic designers (Markusen and Schrock 2006). In the United Kingdom, about 185,000 people were employed in design in 2005, accounting for an estimated turnover of £11.6 billion. Almost half were located in London and metropolitan South East England, with secondary concentrations in Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham and Bristol (Design Council 2005). Elsewhere in Europe, there are major concentrations of designers in Barcelona, Berlin, Milan and Paris, with secondary concentrations in Amsterdam, Helsinki, Madrid, Prague, Rome and Vienna.
